Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Notice Anything?
In this very long term follow-up story about refugees from the political terror following our abandoning South Viet Nam in 1975, is there anything missing from the story? The boat-people left Viet Nam for what reason? And why did we call them boat-people; if they had left by plane would we have called them jet-people? But back to the main question. Here's a quote:
Mr Van Viet's story was that of many. He says he spent months in prison in Vietnam because the authorities suspected of him of helping others to escape.
Eventually, fearing for his life, he took that very route and made a new start in Malaysia, learning English, Malay and Cantonese, and training as an auto mechanic.
Any answers there? Did Mr. Viet spend time in prison because he was a criminal? Why was he fearing for his life? What about the 1975 "reunification" could be so stirring of a desire for permanent relocation? OK, OK. I know it's obvious.
The quarter million left Viet Nam (and 241,000 stayed away) because the Communist take-over was so horrible, the extreme risk of death at sea by storm or pirates--whatever, was preferable to staying put. I guess the Brit author thought we all knew that already.
CORRECTION: A quarter million people left Viet Nam by boat and arrived somewhere else. We don't know, and we'll never know, exactly how many left Viet Nam by boat and perished at sea.
Mr Van Viet's story was that of many. He says he spent months in prison in Vietnam because the authorities suspected of him of helping others to escape.
Eventually, fearing for his life, he took that very route and made a new start in Malaysia, learning English, Malay and Cantonese, and training as an auto mechanic.
Any answers there? Did Mr. Viet spend time in prison because he was a criminal? Why was he fearing for his life? What about the 1975 "reunification" could be so stirring of a desire for permanent relocation? OK, OK. I know it's obvious.
The quarter million left Viet Nam (and 241,000 stayed away) because the Communist take-over was so horrible, the extreme risk of death at sea by storm or pirates--whatever, was preferable to staying put. I guess the Brit author thought we all knew that already.
CORRECTION: A quarter million people left Viet Nam by boat and arrived somewhere else. We don't know, and we'll never know, exactly how many left Viet Nam by boat and perished at sea.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 6:47 PM 
